"Every symbol is a door. Only the initiated possess the key."
The Eye of Providence has represented divine watchfulness across many cultures for millennia. For the Illuminati, it symbolized the all-knowing vision of those who have achieved enlightenment — the ability to see truth where others see only shadows.
Often depicted within a triangle, the All-Seeing Eye represents the omniscient vision of the enlightened mind. It appears on the Great Seal of the United States (designed 1782) and the US dollar bill, though historians debate any Illuminati connection.
Meaning: Divine knowledge, watchfulness, enlightenment
The 13-stepped pyramid with its capstone separated represents the hierarchical structure of knowledge. The uninitiated form the base, while true wisdom remains elevated above. The pyramid is never complete — there is always more to learn.
Meaning: Hierarchy, aspiration, eternal progress
The owl was the actual symbol of Weishaupt's Illuminati, representing the Roman goddess of wisdom. It symbolized the Order's mission to bring wisdom to a world shrouded in darkness. "The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk." — Hegel
Meaning: Wisdom, knowledge, seeing in darkness
Fire has represented enlightenment since Prometheus stole it from the gods. The Illuminati torch symbolizes the light of reason that burns away superstition and ignorance. It cannot be extinguished by the forces of darkness.
Meaning: Knowledge, truth, immortality of ideas
Borrowed from Freemasonry, these tools represent the balance between the material (square) and the spiritual (compass). Many Illuminati were also Masons, and the Order deliberately infiltrated lodges to recruit members.
Meaning: Balance, creation, moral conduct
The sun represents the ultimate source of enlightenment, the truth that illuminates all things. It appears in many Illuminati and Masonic documents, often with rays extending outward to symbolize the spread of knowledge.
Meaning: Truth, revelation, supreme knowledge
Three classes of the Order. The triangle containing the Eye. Past, present, future. Birth, life, death. The number of synthesis and completion.
13 steps on the pyramid. 13 original colonies. May 1st (1+5+1 = 7, 7+6 = 13 in Roman numerals). Represents death and rebirth, transformation.
The year both the Illuminati and the United States were founded. Coincidence? 1+7+7+6 = 21. 2+1 = 3. Return to the sacred trinity.
"Novus Ordo Seclorum"
"He (Providence) has favored our undertakings"
Appears above the pyramid on the Great Seal. Taken from Virgil's Aeneid, it suggests divine approval of the American — or perhaps another — grand enterprise.
"Order from Chaos"
A motto associated with high-degree Freemasonry and the Illuminati. It suggests that true order can only emerge from the destruction of the old corrupt systems.
"Light from Darkness"
The core mission of the Order: to bring the light of reason and knowledge to a world shrouded in superstition and tyranny.
"Through me kings reign"
A declaration of the Order's influence over worldly power. Whether literally true or aspirational, it captures the Illuminati's ambition.
Now that you understand the symbols, explore the philosophy behind them.
The Teachings